Mimicking natural light to improve patient wellbeing in hospitals

HealWell dynamic LED light system can mimic natural light, or be adjusted by users, to improve patient wellbeing and sleep during hospital stays.

The body’s circadian rhythm is dependent upon the daily light/dark schedule of the sun, and disrupting this rhythm is now linked with a of myriad health problems. We’ve seen how the use of adaptive LED lighting can reduce the effects of jet lag, and now hospitals are making similar use of sunlight-mimicking LED lights to improve patient care.

HealWell, developed by Philips Lighting, has been clinically proven to improve patient wellbeing and sleep in clinical trials. The system uses dynamic LED lights to mimic natural daylight patterns in patient rooms, rather than the harsh lighting patients normally experience in wards. Light levels gradually increase to replicate the soft glow of a morning sunrise to the bright light of mid-mornings, and then steadily decrease in the evening. The lighting can be adjusted to the patient’s preferences, with control over warm orange glows or crisp blues, and medical staff are also able to activate a bright ‘examination light’ in emergencies, all via remote control. Already implemented at the Bradford Royal Infirmary and the German Heart Institute among others, the HealWell system is available now.

Where else could dynamic lighting be implemented to aid wellbeing — schools? Prisons?